Blindsided (LSU, #1)

by Becca Steele

“Fuck,” he whispered, his breath hitting my lips, and then he planted his hands on the wall on either side of my face. I didn’t even dare to breathe. Then, he kissed me.

If I could think straight, I probably would’ve said something like, What the fuck am I doing? But all I could focus on was the fact that Elliot had his hands all over Noah, and no. Fuck. That. Mine. Mine. Mine. The word resonated through me like a drumbeat, impossible to ignore.

The problem was I didn’t want to do the right thing. I couldn’t admit it out loud, but I wanted Noah for myself.

Butterflies. That was what he gave me.

Liam used the moment to turn his head the tiniest bit. His breath caressed my skin as his soft rasp sounded in my ear, too low for anyone else to hear. “After this, you’re mine.”

But after our conversation in the library earlier, cemented by our mutual decision to be here together, right now, I was all in.

All I wanted was to lose myself in him, to make him forget anyone’s name but mine.

I wanted to look, to touch, to taste. Fuck, I just wanted to mess him up, to make him as wrecked as I was already feeling.

“Are you gonna come for me?” He bit down on my ear as he twisted his hand, and my orgasm was ripped from me, sudden and blinding.

I stopped dead. A smile spread across my face, and I couldn’t have stopped it even if I’d tried. “Hi.” Noah’s lips curved up, his eyes bright and full of warmth as he looked at me, and I wanted to kiss him so fucking much. I took an automatic step towards him, needing to close the distance between us, but he took a step back, and then I remembered.

The sight of him wearing my hoodie…it made me feel things that I’d never felt before. Things that scared me.

“There are no other girls. I’m not fucking interested, okay? I want you. I want you, and I can’t tell anyone.”

Ugh, this is so sad and TOXIC!!

I never, ever wanted to see that look on his face again. I liked…no, I loved him enough to take away his pain. Or I’d try my fucking hardest, at least. I loved him?

Fuck. I did. I loved him.

And now, I had to let him go. It ...

“Please. Please don’t leave me.”

“He treats me the same way he treats Damon.” Somehow, my words came out sounding more or less normal, but Elliot wasn’t fooled. “Shit, Noah.” He stared at me, compassion in his eyes. “You love him, don’t you.” There wasn’t even a question in his voice, only resignation. I threw my head back, staring up at the soft greys of the sky above me, breathing in the London air that held a hint of salt from the river. Exhaling deeply, I clenched my fists, attempting a semblance of composure, before I finally admitted it. “Yeah, I do.” Elliot’s sharp intake of breath cracked the silence that had fallen between us after my soft admission. “I’m so fucking sorry.” Yeah. So was I.

Noah. It was that exact moment that I realised just how hard and how far I’d fallen. Fuck. He was everything.

“I know it’s way too soon for this, but…fuck it. I need to tell you.” “Tell me what?” My voice shook. “That I…that I love you.” I stared at him, my mouth falling open in shock. “You do?” He nodded, his lashes lowering as he turned his gaze to the ground. He bit down on his lip uncertainly. “Yeah. I think I’ve been falling for a while, but I only put two and two together when I had the conversation with my mum.” “Liam.” I spoke urgently, suddenly needing to let him know that he wasn’t alone in this. When he raised his gaze back to mine, I pulled him closer. “I love you too. Fuck. I love you. I’ve been wanting to tell you, but I was worried it was too soon.”